Improved process of preparing green-sand marl as a fertilizer of lands



UNITED STATES PATENT. 01mins.

CHARLES STEARNS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVED PROCESS OF PREPARING GREEN-SAND MARL AS A FERTlLlZER 0F LANDS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 17,237, dated May 5,1857.

To all whom it may concern: Peruvian guano, and in order to supply thisBe it known that I, CHARLEsS'rEARNs, of condition a suitable amount ofammonia is New York, in the county of New York and superadded, whichoperation, together with State of New York, have invented an Imtheprevious pulverization or disintegration provement in the Preparation ofGreen-Sandand the separation of the green sand, produces MarlFertilizers; and I do hereby declare that a concentrated marl orgreen-sand fertilizer of the following is a full, clear, and exact dethehighest fertilizing and stimulating quality. scription of the principleor. character which The ammonia may be added in the form ofdistinguishes it from all other things before sulphate of ammonia, orthe mass may be wet known, and of'the usual manner of making, withammoniacal liquor and subsequently modifying, and nsin g the same.dried, sufficient of sulphate of lime being used My invention consistsin an improvement to fix the ammonia.

in preparing green-sand-marl fertilizers by The sulphate of ammonia maybe obtained concentrating their fertilizing and stimulating accordingto.methods hitherto known--viz., properties in the mannerhereinai'terdescribed. by the action of sulphuric acid upon urine or Green-sand marlhas long been known and ammoniacal liquor of gas-works; but in whatusedas a fertilizer; but on account'oi' its slow ever way it is obtained'andsuperadded to the action and its great bulk it has rarely everfertilizer, whether in solution or powder, it been used at any distancefrom its source, on should be in about the proportion of seven toaccount of the expense of transportation. It ten' per cent. of thesulphate. More may be has also been, in some instances, used withadded,.if necessary, especially if the night-soil ilsh and sulphate oflime, and also with nightshould be deficient in ammonia from decomsoil.Such cases have also occurred in the viposition or the absence of urine.Of this concinity of the marl-beds; but in noinstance has dition themanufacturer must judge when the such combination been made or soprepared material comes to his hands. Ordinarily, howthat it could bemade an article of commerce. ever, the following may be adopted as asafe For the purpose of rendering the valuable rule of action. Addtwenty pounds of sulproperties ot this marl available to the agriphuricacid of strength 1.625 to one barrel of cultural world I treat it asfollows: The marl thirty-two gallons of ammoniacal liquor of the isfirst washed by agitation with water, which gas-works, which, after theprecipitation of separates a large amount of alumina and usetar andother matters, will givea little over less earthy matters and leaves thegreen-sand ten gallons of strong solution of sulphate of particlescontaining the fertilizing matters in ammonia, which will be the amountrequired a pure state. After agitation, as soon as the to be mixed withtheproportions of green sand green sand has settled, the water holdingthe and animal matters above specified. alumina and other matters ispoured off, and What I claim as my improvement upon fertithe washing isrepeated until the green sand lizers consisting of green-sand marl andaniis clean. The green sand is then dried, pulmal matters isverized ordisintegrated, and mixed with ani- Goncentratin g their fertilizing andstimulatmal matters-say about six hundred pounds of ing properties bythe previous separation of night-soil to one thousand of green sand andthe useless matters of the marl and disinteabout one hundred pounds ofsulphate of lime, gration of the green sand and the superadtheseproportions varying of course according dition of ammonia, substantiallyas herein set to the kind and condition of the animal matforth. ter.

The compound thus prepared possesses all the necessary fertilizingproperties of a good manure, but lacks the stimulating property ofCHARLES STEARNS.

Witnesses Isaac M. Houses,

G. W. Coons-An.

